Title: The motivation of bloggers for organisational knowledge sharing and creation: A comparative case study to identify contingency factors influencing motivation

Authors: Stephan Kaiser, Simone Kansy, Gordon Mueller-Seitz, Max Ringlstetter

Addresses: Wissenschaftliche Hochschule Lahr, Department of Human Resource Management and Organisation, Hohbergweg 15-17, 77933 Lahr, Germany. ' Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Auf der Schanz 49, 85049 Ingolstadt, Germany. ' Free University of Berlin, Department of Management, Boltzmannstr. 20, 14195 Berlin, Germany. ' Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Auf der Schanz 49, 85049 Ingolstadt, Germany

Abstract: The use of weblogs for knowledge sharing and creation is a novel social and organisational phenomenon. In this paper, we start from the assumption that successful knowledge management requires the motivation of people to engage in knowledge-related communication. However, several studies indicate that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) do not always improve organisational knowledge sharing and creation as a result of a missing motivation to use ICTs. Thus, we discuss two partially opposite cases, in order to identify and explain contingency factors that directly influence the motivation towards making a contribution in knowledge sharing and creation.

Keywords: knowledge sharing; knowledge creation; contingency factors; information technology; communication technology; ICT; motivation; weblogs; blogs; bloggers; organisational knowledge; knowledge management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKMS.2010.029788

International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 2010 Vol.4 No.1, pp.80 - 108

Published online: 02 Dec 2009 *

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